Last week, David Tran decided enough was enough. You see, Tran is a fighter. As a soldier in Vietnam, Tran fought for freedom against the communists. He won and in 1978 he boarded a ship named Huy Fong and came to America in search of freedom, and for the opportunity he could not find in Vietnam.

In 1980, David Tran started a new fight, this time for commercial success and the American Dream. He started making an Asian hot sauce in Southern California that has since taken the world by storm. His Sriracha sauce has become a cult favorite and is considered a staple in many Asian and American homes. Thirty years later, Tran has won again. His commitment to hard work and a high-quality product has made him a commercial success.

Today, Tran has decided to take on a new fight, this time for his company’s survival. The City Council of Irwindale, in an unprecedented and unwarranted action, has declared Huy Fong Foods to be a public nuisance. It turns out that a few local residents have made complaints to the City Council about a spicy odor emanating from the Huy Fong factory that causes burning eyes and coughing fits. Now, the Irwindale City Council is on the attack against David Tran and his company. They’ve filed lawsuits against Huy Fong and have attempted to shut down production.

As a fan of Sriracha sauce, I wanted to make a short drive and see for myself what the fuss was all about. I met with Tran, his family and his employees. I toured the factory and put my nose to work. I detected no odor or harmful emissions. What I smelled here was something much more offensive. The odor was not coming from the Huy Fong plant; it was emanating from the City Council chamber in Irwindale.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has looked into the matter and found no violations. It turns out that 41 of the 61 complaints about the factory come from only four households, several of which are related or affiliated with certain City Council members.

What really stinks in Irwindale is that several current and former city officials stand accused in Los Angeles Superior Court of public corruption charges.

Symbolism is important to Tran. His Sriracha sauce comes in a distinctive clear bottle with a rooster on the label, to symbolize the year of his birth. He named his company Huy Fong Foods, in honor of the ship that carried him to America. To me, Tran stands as a symbol of success and the American dream. His company is an important resource for our community that not only provides an iconic and high-quality product but also creates hundreds of jobs and contributes millions of dollars to the local economy.

Advertisement

In America, the role of our government is not to hinder commerce but to facilitate it. Many other cities and states have offered Huy Fong significant incentives to move their operations out of Irwindale. I see this as the worst possible outcome for the city of Irwindale and the people of Southern California. In our district we face a high unemployment rate and a struggling economy. We simply can’t afford to drive out our job creators with oppressive regulations and extraordinary costs.

I am calling on the Irwindale City Council to meet me at Huy Fong Foods and to tour the company with me. Let’s walk the neighborhood together and speak directly with neighbors. Perhaps we can agree that there is a better way to solve this problem without resorting to civic action and lawsuits.

Let’s consider together the best interests of the Huy Fong employees, who told me that they were afraid of losing their good jobs. Let’s find a way to keep Huy Fong and Sriracha in Irwindale without a fight. I would like to remind the City Council that Tran is a fighter, and in this fight I stand right by his side.

Art Alas is a candidate in the June 3 primary for the 32nd Congressional District, which includes Irwindale.